Remote charging device



W. R. FLETCHER REMOTE CHARGING DEVICE Filed June 6, 1924 TES PATENToFFlce.

WALLACE R. FLETCHER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

REMOTE CHARGING DEVICE.

Application filed June 6, 1924. Serial No. 718,308.

To all Lek-m it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE R. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at DayRn, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and usefullmprovements in Remote Charging Devices,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general toautomatic guns and more particularlyto a device for charging or recocking such 'a gun from a remote point.

In the use of automatic guns on aircraft and the like the guns arefrequently mounted either in the fuselage or on or above the wings ofthe craft in a place totally inaccessible to the gunner. For this reasonit is necessary to provide some' form of distant control which willenable the gunner to cock the gun preparatory to firing or to eject adefective cartridge in case of stoppage.

It 1s the object of my invention to provide such a remote chargingdevice which may be easily mounted on the standard types of guns, whichhave a flexible control element designed to operate the gun from aremote point even though it may be necessary for the control to assaround several bends or turns in the aircraft to reach the gun; acontrol which is provided with means for adjusting its effective length,and with means for insuring its return toan inoperative position afterthe gun has been charged. Other objects of my invention will appear inthe following specification and claims gll and will be disclosed in thedrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side accompanying elevation of theportion shown in dotted lines disclosing my device.

' Figure 2 is an end elevation of that portion of my device which showsmeans for attaching the same to the gun frame.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, it will be seenthat my device is comprised as follows:'

My device is adapted to be secured to the gun frame 1 by means ofabracket 2, clamp 3, and handle 4:, which handle is mounted on a bolt 5in a manner which facilitates the assembly of my device with the gunframe without the use of any tools. Pressure is applied on the gun frame1 by means of the clamp 3 through the rotation of the mounted on theother end of said tube, the

spring 10 being backed by a cap screw 11. The bracket is machined at 2to receive one end of the control casing 12 through which the controlcable 13 is slidably movable. The control cable 13'is sweated to the capscrew 11 or secured thereto in any other suitable manner so that themovement of the cable will be transmitted to the tube 8 'and'hence tothe arm 7. The other end of the control casing 12 is adapted tobeadjustably secured to a standard 16 adapted to be secured to any part ofthe supporting craft. The efi'ective length of the control casing 12 maybe varied by the adjustable stop 14 which is locked in its adjustedposition b a lock nut 15. A control cable 13 is threa ed through themounted standard 16 and is fixed to the control handle 17 through theuse of the collar 18. Y

My device having been described in detail, its operation will be seen tobe as follows:

When it is desired to charge orto cook the n, it is merely necessary topull on the control handle 17 this pull being transmitted through thecontrol cable 13 to the tube 8 against the action of the spring 10 andforcing the finger 7 a backward, engaging the charging handle of the gunand cooking the gun. Upon release of the handle 17 the spring 10immediately forces the tube 8 into its outward or forward position.

I claim:

1. In combination, in a remote charging device for an automatic gun,means adapted to secure said device to the frame of said gun, meansadapted to engage the charging handle of said gun, a charging handle,and flexible means operatively connecting said second named means tosaid handle.

2. In combination, in a remote charging device for an automatic gun,means adapted to secure said device to the frame of said automatic gun,a bracket adapted to be secured to the frame of said 'gun, a mountingstandard adapted to be fixedly mounted at a point remote from saidbracket, means adapted to engage the charging handle of said gun, acontrol handle, flexible means slidably engaging said standard andadapted to operatively connect said control handle to said first namedmeans, and resilient means tending to hold said flexible means in itsextended position.

4. In a remote charging device for an automatic gun, a bracket adaptedto be secured to the frame of said gun, a mounting standard adapted tobe fixedly mounted at a point remote from said bracket, means adapted toengage the charging handle of said gun, a control handle, flexible meansslidably engaging said standard and adapted to operatively connect saidcontrol handle to said first named means, and a casing surrounding saidflexible means.

5. In a remote charging device for an automatic gun, a bracket adaptedto be secured to the frame of said gun, a mounting standard adapted tobe fixedly mounted at a point remote from said bracket, means adapted toengage the charging handle of said gun, a control handle, flexible meansslidably engaging said standard and adapted to operatively connect saidcontrol handle to said first named means, and means for adjusting theeffective length of said flexible means and of said casin In testimonywhereo l afiix my signature.

WALLACE R. FLETCHER.

